Rob Bissett (pictured), director of product management at N-able Technologies, is making the leap into the cloud. He’s set to join 6fusion International, a cloud services provider that works with a range of data center providers across Canada, the United States and the Caribbean. Here are some quick details about Bissett’s move to 6fusion.
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N-able Veteran Joins Cloud Upstart
Posted August 17th, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
Spiceworks 5.0 Beta: Free Network Monitoring for MSPs
Posted July 22nd, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
Spiceworks is preparing to beta test version 5.0 of the company’s free, advertising-based managed services platform. The Spiceworks 5.0 release seems to target network-centric MSPs. Here’s a quick preview of the release and some more background on Spiceworks.
N-able, NetEnrich Partner on Managed NOC, Help Desk Services
Posted July 21st, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
Ingram Micro Seismic veteran Justin Crotty arrives at NetEnrich in a few weeks. But in the meantime, the NOC (network operations center) specialist continues to sign new managed services partnerships. The latest example involves N-able Technologies launching MSP Supplemental Services, which leverage NetEnrich’s NOC and help desk services. Here are some details.
Seven Managed Services Blogs MSPmentor Didn’t Write: July 2
Posted July 2nd, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
It’s time for me to “let go” of MSPmentor for just a little bit. As the July 4th holiday weekend gets set to kick off, I’m preparing for a real vacation. Really. But before I unplug, here are seven managed services blog entries that the MSPmentor team didn’t have a chance to write for the week ending July 2, 2010.
Level Platforms Hosts Regional MSP Events Instead of Big Bash
Posted June 9th, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
Why throw one big party when you can host multiple, regional gatherings? That’s the thought process at Level Platforms, the MSP software provider that is planning another road show series rather than hosting a big, annual partner bash. Here’s a quick update from Level Platforms CEO Peter Sandiford.
N-able Confirms 2010 Partner Summit Date
Posted March 4th, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. After hosting a successful 2009 managed services partner summit in Scottsdale, Arizona, the N-able conference will return to the same location in 2010. I think the agenda is still pending, but the N-able Partner Summit is confirmed for October 20-22, according to the company’s blog. We’ll be back with more details once the agenda comes into focus.
Managed Services: First Mover Advantage Is Over
Posted December 14th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
Here’s another blog entry that’s been spinning around my head for several weeks. It goes something like this: There’s no longer a first-mover advantage in the managed services market. The original theme — proactive, remote monitoring for a predictable monthly fee — is old news. So what’s next?
HTG Peer Groups: 220 MSPs Set to Chat
Posted October 27th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
Roughly 220 managed service providers and VARs are set to converge in Orlando, Fla., at the HTG Peer Group meetings. Cloud computing will be a central theme for the meeting. But there will also be a big focus on so-called “legacy plans.” Here’s what to expect at the HTG gathering, and the clues it may offer about the MSP industry’s evolution.
Preview: Five Trends at ConnectWise Partner Summit
Posted October 26th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
The ConnectWise Partner Summit kicks off Nov. 4 in Orlando, Fla. Roughly 900 managed service providers — including HTG Peer Group members — are expected to converge on the event. Here are five trends we’ll be tracking at the conference.
Have 10 Percent of MSPs Closed Shop?
Posted October 23rd, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
I need to make sure the following blog entry is in the proper context: Many managed service providers continue to grow and thrive. We’ll be sharing some early data points from our ongoing MSPmentor 100 research over the next few days. But this little anecdote is important to note: A few folks allege that 10 percent of MSPs have disappeared or closed up shop in 2009. True?
Google Set to Accelerate Enterprise Push
Posted October 23rd, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
If you check in with enough sources close to Google, you start to get the feeling that the search giant is preparing to accelerate an enterprise-oriented SaaS (software as a service) push in Q4 2009 or early 2010. Here’s what apparently is coming — and the potential implications for managed service providers.
Free: The New MSP Strategy?
Posted October 22nd, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
A so-called “free” strategy continues to sweep across the managed services market. But whether you’re an association, a software provider or a managed services provider (MSP), “free” is a tricky strategy to manage — especially as you try to convert free clientele into paying customers. Here’s a look at the trend.
Windows 7 and Managed Services: Microsoft’s Emerging Strategy
Posted October 22nd, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
If the early reports are correct, Windows 7 is a dramatic improvement from Windows Vista (perhaps for these five reasons). Even so, I’m surprised Microsoft is doing so little to promote Windows 7 to managed service providers. Here’s what Microsoft is doing wrong — and right — with its MSP messaging so far.
N-able: Profitable With Potential IPO Aspirations
Posted October 19th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
The N-able Partner Summit wrapped up Oct. 16. But I’m still organizing some thoughts based on interviews with a range of N-able executives and partners — including conversations with N-able CEO Gavin Garbutt and VP of Sales Mike Cullen. Here are some quick thoughts, including the state of N-able’s finances and potential long-term IPO aspirations.
14 Business and Financial Tips for MSPs
Posted October 15th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
Which financial and business metrics are most important for a managed service provider to track? Larry Schulze, co-founder and principal consultant at Taylor Business Group, offered up key thoughts during the N-able Partner Summit. Here are 14 key business and financial metrics he mentioned.
N-able Launches Free Endpoint Security
Posted October 15th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
I considered multiple headlines for this blog entry. But ultimately, the story comes down to this: N-able says it’s offering roughly $75 million worth of free software — including monitoring software and endpoint security software — to help managed service providers accelerate their growth and engage more customers. Is this a publicity stunt or a game-changing move by CEO Gavin Garbutt? Here’s some analysis.
MSP Cloud Forecast: Varies By Region
Posted October 14th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
As I travel from one MSP-oriented conference to the next, I’m reminded that there’s more than one way to attack the managed services market. A prime example: As the N-able Partner Summit kicks off here in Arizona, I’m hearing a healthy reality check on cloud computing. Here’s some background.
Five Questions for N-able CEO Gavin Garbutt
Posted October 13th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
The N-able Partner Summit kicks off Oct. 14 in Scottsdale, Ariz. More than 350 managed service providers and partners are expected to attend. I hope to sit down with N-able CEO Gavin Garbutt (pictured) and pose these five questions about the state of the managed services market.
Preview: Five Trends At N-able Partner Summit
Posted October 7th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
N-able and more than 350 managed services providers and partners are set to converge on Scottsdale, Ariz., for the N-able Partner Summit. The event, which starts Oct. 14, could shed some more light on several managed services trends. Here are five topics I intend to explore.
CompTIA, MSP Services Network Launch Regional Events
Posted August 25th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
MSP Services Network (MSPSN), an Omaha-based Master MSP that also promotes industry collaboration, is partnering with CompTIA to develop content for three regional managed services workshops. The effort emphasizes business and financial education rather than technology talk. Here’s a look at the MSPSN-CompTIA relationship, plus a broader look at conferences and educational efforts across the managed services industry.
Australia and New Zealand: Race for MSP Market Share
Posted July 29th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
The race to gain managed services mind share and market share in Australia and New Zealand continues to accelerate. The latest examples: Autotask is planning an August 2009 road show in Australia, and Kaseya has opened an office in New Zealand. The moves come only a few days after ConnectWise confirmed plans to offer hosted ConnectWise in Europe and Australia. Here’s some more perspective about the global managed services market.
Kaseya Connect 2009 User Conference: Sold Out
Posted April 24th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
Despite the recession, managed services conferences hosted by vendors seem to be maintaining their momentum. The latest case in point: The upcoming Kaseya Connect user conference — which typically attracts more than 250 MSPs and corporate IT managers — is sold out for 2009, according to Kevin McGuirk, executive VP of corporate marketing for Kaseya.
Autotask: Go Big, Go Global, And Tweet All the Way
Posted March 23rd, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
I’ll be at the Autotask Community Live conference starting March 29, but news slated for the event is starting to leak out on Autotask’s Twitter feed. Here are three Autotask tweets that caught my ears (actually, my eyes).
Take a look at our 